With 77% of all youth reporting that they want to be their own boss, and only 5% of youth reporting that they have a business internship today (or business mentor), the challenge is obvious.

America simply cannot compete on the world stage, nor create the one million required business start-ups annually that research estimates America needs now to power GDP growth, and the job creation essential for the nation (America creates approximately 400,000 start-ups annually today), without her 30 million youth, 5th through 12th grade, showing distinct and increasing levels of economic energy, leading into adulthood.

To “Win the Future,” Gallup and HOPE believe that every city in America should engage the Index in the following ways:

Ask for the Gallup-HOPE Index to be donated to your local school district for use semi-annually with all your youth, 5th-12th grade (easy online access and participant anonymity).

Create local Mayor’s Financial Literacy Council, with 12-appointed local leaders from government, community and the private sector, which compliments the US President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability.

Engage Operation HOPE, Junior Achievement, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the local United Way, 100 Black Men of America, National Mentoring Cares Network, the local Rotary Club, the chamber and others, as on-the-ground intervention strategies in your city.

Rally the private sector to provide local business internships and local business role models.

Track and publicly report out on local Index trending data at least annually for your city.

Talk-in trending Index results throughout the year as a means of energizing and engaging sustained city leadership.

Compete with other cities for preeminent leadership around youth financial literacy and youth economic energy in America.